A Good Marriage - Mutual Regard

 

Marrying someone because they “look good on paper,” are a trophy on our arm, are sure to accept our proposal of marriage, or fit into our “five or ten-year plan” for our life is cruel and unjust (Genesis 29:31-34). We imprison them in a loveless relationship and deprive them of the benefits of a deep and committed love that never ceases (1 Corinthians 13:8-12).

 

God’s Word exhorts wives to submit to their own husband, but this is with the condition that the decision is fitting in the Lord. As women, our primary allegiance is to the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ. If our husband requires us to commit an action contrary to Biblical teaching, we gracefully and kindly follow God’s precepts instead (Titus 2:5, Colossians 3:18, Ephesians 5:22, 1 Peter 3:1,5). 

 

Another concept to consider here is that we are co-heirs with Jesus. This gives the picture of two people who consider issues through prayer together, and we find avenues of action that come from Godly wisdom upon which we can both agree. We honor one another with our preferences and understanding.

 

We also support one another, make mutual choices that benefit both of us, fiercely guard each other’s peace and joy, and promote the fulfillment of our mate’s needs. This attitude helps to insure the longevity of our marriage as a living example of Christ and His Bride.

 

Together we rejoice and grieve, share in hobbies, take walks, nurture children and grandchildren, and face life’s joys and difficulties with a unified front. We cherish each other, value our spouse as our companion, delight in one another’s attention and love, have compassion on different weaknesses, and appreciate and rely on individual strengths (Isaiah 62:4-5).

 

Prayer:

Father God, we bask in Your love today and we look forward to our relationship with You throughout eternity. We delight in our union with You and rely on Your consistent presence in our life. Help us to be ambassadors of Your love to our spouse, family, church family, neighbors, and acquaintances. Teach us to cover our mate with Your love – both their faults and their strengths – rather than frustration, disdain, resentment, aloofness, and rejection (Song of Solomon 2:4).

 

Help us to follow Jesus’ example of love. He was crucified for His Bride’s transgressions (Isaiah 53:5-8), sacrificed Himself for our salvation, and loves us with an unconditional love (Isaiah 62:5; Ephesians 5:32). Remind us to prefer one another as co-heirs together with Jesus of Your entire Kingdom (Romans 8:16-18; 1 Peter 3:7). Teach us to delight in one another as Jesus delights in His Beloved and to treasure our relationship all the days of our life.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

If a man marries a woman as his cook, housekeeper, babysitter, a second income, etc. he does both her and himself a disfavor. If a woman marries a man for the wedding experience, or because she does not want to be considered a spinster, or for his ability to provide for and protect her, she cheats him out of the respect and honor he longs to receive from his mate. If we change our focus and marry in the will of God for us, our marriage can always reflect the affection, delight, and warmth of the couple portrayed in the Biblical book of the Song of Solomon.

 

Applicable Biblical Wisdom

 

 

Through the pages of the Bible, we learn that God walks with us and in us. As we consult Biblical wisdom, we discover that God has a purpose in everything He says and does. The scriptures enlighten us in the ways and priority of God as well as His reasons for the methods in which He deals with His beloved children. 

 

These books challenge us to consult God in all our choices and decisions and to allow God’s Spirit to guide us each moment of our day, as well as in every preference and resolution we adopt in our lifetime (Proverbs 3:5-6). We realize that God never allows us to suffer in life, without planting a seed for a miracle within each trial.

 

He uses these issues to increase our faith in His faithfulness and to draw us into a more intimate union with Him. Whether the book is written as a conversation among friends like Job, or in short summations of truth like Proverbs, or poetic prose like Psalms and Song of Solomon, God actually speaks to us through the authors of these books.

 

They provide us with information and truth that are as viable to us today as they were at the time they were written. If we ask for it, God liberally gives us His wisdom (James 1:5-6). This is a priceless treasure by which we live with His discretion and precision that protect us, teach us, and help us to prosper. 

 

We ultimately learn that Christ is our whole life, as well as our holiness, regeneration, and redemption (James 1:5-7; Colossians 3:3-4; Proverbs 4:5-7, 8:12). There is no similarity between the wisdom of the world in comparison to Biblical wisdom. 

 

Prayer:

Father God, Biblical wisdom is powerful, living, and separates us from carnality (Hebrews 4:12). It gives us sound, infinite, timeless advice on which we can base our life both now and for eternity. This astute knowledge gives us the insight to trust in You with our whole heart, and not to depend on human philosophy. Bible truths help us to submit our daily schedule to You, so You will direct our path (Proverbs 3:5-6). Biblical literature teaches us Your wisdom for daily living. They inspire in us a righteous and moral life. 

 

They also instruct us on how to live with consideration and respect for our self and others, and they motivate us to eliminate strife and stress from our life as we pursue peace with everyone in every situation (Psalm 34:14-16; James 3:1-18). The way to gain Your wisdom is to respect Your mighty power (Psalm 111:10). Your wisdom teaches us humility, mercy, sincerity, honesty, availability, serenity, compassion, and genuine behavior. Thank You that through the sanctifying power of Your Spirit, there is no hypocrisy, selfishness, pride, or rebellion left in us (Ecclesiastes 7:12, 19).

 

Thought for the Day:

I bought some herbal teas that have worldly wisdom on the tab of each bag. When I read them, I burst into laughter half of the time, and I am disappointed in the words the other half. Philosophers in this world struggle in their attempt to sound wise and to make profound statements. However, their profundity is limited to humanism, and based on what we can do with our finite willpower and understanding, which is temporary at best. 

- Proverbs 3:7

 

Loving and Caring God

 

Our loving and caring Daddy God continually comforts His people (Isaiah 40:1). We have no reason to be afraid of persecution and trauma perpetuated on us by mere mortals, because they wither like grass (Isaiah 51:22). God is always available to comfort His children in the same way that a nurturing mother comforts her child (Isaiah 66:13).

 

Our trials give us the opportunity to prove that faith in God’s faithfulness to us is a foundation of our trust in Him. When we love God and allow patience to perfect us during our circumstances, God gives us His crown of life (James 1:12). We maintain our confidence in Him, and He richly rewards us.

 

God prepares His spiritual army much like our modern military trains soldiers. Trials are our “bootcamp.” We are much more able to have compassion and words of comfort for others who are experiencing similar hardships when we have experienced issues in our own life (Luke 22:31-32; 2 Corinthians 1:4). 

 

In all our trials, our joy overflows due to God’s ministrations to us. We may feel disheartened occasionally, but our confidence in Him increases, and He fills us with His encouragement by His Spirit and His Body of Believers (2 Corinthians 7:4, 7:6-7). Those who impose evil on us are eventually ashamed because they see how the Lord encourages and blesses His Born Again Believers (Psalm 86:17).

 

Our behavior and our preference for sin disappoints and even angers the Lord, but when we repent and praise the Lord, his anger is quenched and turned away from us, and He lavishly comforts us (Isaiah 12:1). When we are hurting, sick, and broken, we can always pray and sing praises to God with gratitude in our heart. 

 

We call for the leadership of our church family to anoint us with oil and to pray for us (James 5:14-15). God hears our prayers and delivers us from our trouble. He heals us from the inside out. He is always near to us in our brokenness and saves us when we are weary and crushed in our spirit (Psalm 34:17-20).

 

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that when we come to You with our heavy burdens and cares, You give us Your rest. We take Your yoke on our shoulders, because it is easy and light, rather than carrying the heavy, hard yoke of our own making. We want to learn from You and follow Your example of having a peaceful and humble heart, so our soul will enjoy Your rest both now and in eternity (Matthew 11:28-29).

 

When demonic forces attempt to deceive us and to tempt us to sin, discourage us with our past behavior, and inflict us with anguish in our body and soul, remind us to come to You for cleansing and pruning so we can bear much fruit for Your Kingdom. Thank you for the healing and cleansing us from our penchant to sin. We receive Your forgiveness through Jesus shed blood on Calvary’s cross. When we cry for help, You always hear us and deliver us through every trial we ever experience in our life (Psalm 34:17-20).

 

Thoughts for the Day:
Our soul makes her boast in the LORD, and the humble hear our testimony and gladly receive Christ as their Savior as well. Our flesh and heart may threaten to fail us when we are swamped by fear, but when we call on Him, God quickly gives us His strength for our heart and His provision for all the days of our life.

- Psalm 34:2-6; Psalm 73:26

 

 

Receiving Answers to Our Prayers

 

 

Joshua prayed a prayer, which was impossible and even improbable to answer, yet God commanded the sun to stand still at Joshua’s request. Scientists discovered that this actually happened (Joshua 10:11-14). God knows what we need, and already committed that He would supply all our needs with His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19-21). 

 

As we pray and walk in His will for us, God even promises to move mountains at our request (Matthew 17:20). He is simply waiting for us to ask. When we pray with a heart that is in fellowship with our Father God, we receive answers (James 5:16). However, sin separates us from God, and it causes Him to hide His face from us, so He will not hear us (Psalm 66:18; Isaiah 59:2). 

 

If we confess our sins with a repentant heart, He faithfully draws near to us, withholds His just judgment from us, and forgives us (1 John 1:9). God prunes us as a branch connected to the Vine of Christ, and He purifies us from every desire to live a life in habitually sinful behavior (John 15:2). 

 

As we pray in the holy and powerful name of Jesus, our Christ, His forgiveness is quick and cleansing (John 14:13-14). In fact, another key to receive answered pray is to pray even for our enemies with the spirit of forgiveness toward our family, friends, and foes that wound us, use us, or abuse us (Mark 11:25). 

 

Forgiveness does not exempt that person from their guilt, but it frees us from the bondage to the event that caused our need to forgive (Matthew 5:23-24). With every issue we have, God resolves them one by one. We may have continual trials, but that is because Satan is trying to get us to give up our Christian walk.

 

Prayer:

Father God, sometimes You delay Your answers to our prayers just because You want us to persevere in prayer and not to lose heart (Luke 18:5-8). Your Word tells us about those who persisted in prayer to teach us the importance of this habit. Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for Your promise of a son. Teach us that waiting on You is resting quietly and peacefully and joyfully until You speak or act.

 

In fact, Abraham and Sarah’s discouragement in Your delay in granting this desire of their heart caused them to lose hope. They ended up taking matters into their own hands and they made a huge mistake. The world, especially the Jewish nation and Christians, reap the destruction of their actions to this very day through many of the descendants of Ishmael. Help us to walk in Your Spirit, to trust in Your timing, and to seek You more than the answers to our prayers.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Jesus promises us that in this world we will have tribulation; however, we can have a cheerful heart, because Jesus already overcame these trials for us. We can believe in faith that He will deliver us through of all or our troubles, because He promised that He would - not in our timing, but in His.

- John 16:32-33

 

A Different Perspective

 

God uses the Biblically recorded incidents to instruct us in many areas of our life on this earth. He teaches us lessons from the accounts of the lives of His Saints. He also gives us hope in our trials, instruction to successfully traverse the daily aspects of our life, understanding on how to deepen our union with Him, and a different perspective about wisdom for daily living.

 

For instance, God initiated the trials in Job’s life; however, He already planned to give back to Job multiple blessings that surpassed what Satan took away (Job 42:10-17). In the Biblical account of Job’s trials, God discloses how all His creation takes its continual direction from Him (Job 40:14-24). 

 

Job realized that his limited understanding of God’s ways caused much of his anguish and suffering. As a result, Job crumbled in repentance for having a lack of faith in God’s goodness, and he repented of his doubts and apologized profusely for his impudence (Job 40:1-5).

 

The book of Proverbs contains chapters that correspond with each day of our month. They invite us to read and meditate on one a day and to glean wisdom from each verse. We gain Godly knowledge and skill for living from the many tidbits of insight in each chapter. 

 

This book also compares the differences of the morally deficient “fool” and the thoughtfully consecrated “wise” person, by contrasting their choices and attitude (Proverb 1:7). Within the folds of its pages, Proverbs covers us with reassurance, counsel, and coaching for a successful life.

 

This theme continues with the book of Ecclesiastes. This title means “preacher” or “teacher,” and the book is full of Godly wisdom. It starts with a pessimistic, derisive, and despairing tone. This statement grabs our attention, but it is not an appropriate introduction to the following verses that present a positive and hopeful view of those who live in obedience to God’s principles. 

 

This book also contrasts the works of God with the attempts of humans to utilize carnal resources to attain success in life. God straightens our crooked paths, allows joy and suffering to mold our life view, and blesses us with every good and perfect gift (Ecclesiastes 7:13-22; James 1:17-21). Within God’s parameters, we garnish the wisdom we need to succeed in life without attempting to pursue a secure fate with pointless conceit and human effort. 

 

A collection of original songs, prayers, poetry, and wisdom snuggle within the pages of the thought-provoking book of Psalms. King David is credited with many of these songs, some of which He wrote as he shepherded his father’s sheep. In the loneliness of the green pastures and still waters (Psalm 23:1-2), he penned prophetic prose that are as valuable now as they were then. 

 

The genuineness of the Psalmists, in pouring out their heart in their words, speaks to our life even today. Many people have their favorite Psalm which they consult when they are in pain or a quandary throughout their lifetime. Psalms has verses that relate to every mood, circumstance, doubt, and aspiration that are common to all mankind.

 

Last, but not least, of Biblical wisdom in the Song of Solomon touches the heart of lovers everywhere. Some people are offended by the blatant expression of sexual prose in this book, but many see the romance intended by the author. This book gives us a guide for relating to our spouse in the most amorous of terms. 

 

Biblical scholars often describe this book as an example of God’s love for His chosen nation, and Jesus’ love for His Bride. There is no real plot in Solomon’s book, and no mention of God; however, it does describe for us many ancient Jewish traditions and the refinement of the bond of marriage through intentional attention and focus. 

 

Prayer:

Father God, the many books of Biblical wisdom are delightfully written excerpts from the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit. They hold more interesting content than some of the historical books of the Bible, although historical books give us an understanding of Your plan throughout the ages of time. Thank You for giving us Your Word to sustain us through each day of our life. It is truly a source of encouragement, instruction, wisdom, and full of examples of Your grace to us all.

 

Thank You that in the books of wisdom, we see the similarity in humanity throughout the ages with our common fears, foibles, and faith in Your faithfulness. Through their pages, we learn to trust You with our whole heart, and we see vivid pictures of Your love for the whole world through every generation that struggles with the realities of life here on earth.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Even the simple truths of God’s Word are wiser than any worldly wisdom. God rarely uses those who are wise in the ways of the world, but He chooses the weakest members of society in order to provide us with examples of His wisdom and strength. His power is stronger than our human resources. This prevents us from bragging about our accomplishments and causes us to give all praise, honor, and glory to Him for His name’s sake.

- 1 Corinthians 1:25-30; Ephesians 2:8-10

Enchanting Day

 

We woke up this morning to the beginning of an enchanting Winter Wonderland. Tree branches frosted with white powder, streets dusted with clean fresh snow, taking salted roads to our destination rather than the quiet country roads on which we usually drive, grass quickly turning from green to white caps, and snow crunching under our feet.

 

A delightful change of events while we are getting used to the “valley of dry bones” that comes every fall. Our verdant greenery transitions almost overnight to bare limbs and a lack of color. However, snowy white is a welcomed site as it blankets the usual blacks and browns of the limbs during the winter season.

 

There is one saving grace during the winter months in the Heartland - evergreen trees. I realized this year that some Juniper species of our evergreens actually turn a mahogany color and shed all their needles. Our yards are full of feathery, rust-colored fronds that protect the grass roots from the harsh temperatures of winter.

 

Of course, I have also been told that herbicides, such as those that are dropped by planes and helicopters on the surrounding fields of corn and soybeans, may cause the leaf loss and even death to the tree trunk of some evergreen species.

 

This reminds me of what sin does to the life of a professing Christian. We have an outer façade that is tenuous and ingenuine. The least bit of temptation can throw us into premature soul-sickness or even into the perplexity of spiritual death. Our roots are planted in shallow, rocky, or parched ground (Matthew 13:1-23).

 

Originally, we only make a surface repentance created by a conviction of sin. We pray for salvation that did not affect our life at all because we just responded to the emotion of the moment. This prayer and superficial decision to change our lifestyle was not life changing because we did not entirely surrender to God and His will for us. 

 

However, we can enter the depth of true repentance and transformation when we transition to true conversion from our bondage to Satan and sins of our fleshly character. As God’s Spirit sanctifies us over our years of relationship with the Trinity of God, Christ becomes our whole life at home, work, church, neighborhood, and community.

 

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that only through Your Spirit’s sanctifying work in us, that Christ becomes our everything, and He is the very center of our constant focus (Colossians 3:3-4). Teach us that when we set our mind on spiritual growth rather than on the fulfillment of the desires of our flesh, we grow from one stage of spiritual maturity to the next (2 Corinthians 3:18).

 

We do not want to rely on our good works, our church attendance and service, or on a glib prayer recited after a brief conviction by Your Spirit. We want to enter a place of true conversion as one of Your adopted children and as a co-heir with Jesus of Your entire Kingdom. We so appreciate the local church in which You planted us, and we thank You that their vision for missions both internationally and locally is a monthly focus and driving force for all our endeavors during our ministry here.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

When our roots deeply plant into the rich, fertile soil provided by an intimate union with God, His Spirit, and His Word, our spirit is revived and reconciled to God and our soul starts to change and our spirit is regenerated, grows, and matures. This begins our amazing journey through the transitions of a life guarded and guided by our loving Heavenly Father, sanctified by His Spirit, and accompanied by our brother, Jesus, who currently sits at the right hand of our Father God as He intercedes for us and abides by His Spirit within us.

- Mark 4:1-20 

Moody Teenagers

 

 

Teenagers are learning to grow away from their parents and to make their own choices in preparation for their adult life. They often forget all we did for them when they were little. As teens, they resent our interference in their choices, and they get moody when we have restrictive rules that give them little choices in their privileges.

 

Many will attempt to sneak around to break the rules without parental knowledge, so they will not get in trouble or suffer grounding for their independent choices. Others will just go ahead and rebel, and then resent their parents as they suffer for their disobedience to family rules.

 

This is a common issue, and we parents can learn to give our teens more responsibilities and privileges with each successive year of their life. When my three children entered their teenage years, I read a book called “How to Raise Good Kids” by Charlie Shedd. It is no longer in print, but so many of his other parenting books are still available.

 

https://www.thriftbooks.com/browse/?b.search=Charlie%20shedd#b.s=mostPopular-desc&b.p=1&b.pp=30&b.oos&b.tile

 

As an adult, my older son did camera work for a documentary about a large family with many children. He called me one night and thanked me in tears, because watching this Christian mother raising her children reminded him of all the little and big things, which I did for him over the years.

 

Soon after this, my daughter asked me to tell her my memories of her childhood and our interaction together, and I could not remember the 100s of things I did for and with her ... just a few milestones. She was not impressed. She eventually got caught up in the world and walked away from her Christian upbringing.

 

She is even angry with me for witnessing to her friends, especially one who was offended that I talked to him about Jesus, and he complained to her. This caused her to reject me, and she has not spoken to me now in over 10 years. She actually threatened to put me in jail for harassment if I ever contacted her or any of her friends again.

 

However, God’s love for us is from age to age, even toward our descendants. (Psalm 25:6, 103:17; Exodus 20:6). He led me to send my daughter a birthday greeting every year since she “divorced” me, in order to keep the lines of communication open with her from my end. She continues to ignore me, but I know I am obeying our Father God in this.

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for the children with which You bless us. Even through the years of struggle with them, we learn to trust You more and to introduce “family roundtable” discussions when there is a conflict, rather than to inflict our children with our stringent rules. Of course, we are only attempting to protect our children out of love, but they rarely view our behavior as coming from love.

 

We ask You to help our children to see that there is no perfect parent, just as there are no perfect children. We are all flawed humans who continually strive to do our best. We cannot ask anyone for more than their best – that is impossible to do. Help us to be more sympathetic parents, and to give our children more privileges and responsibilities with each passion year, so their internal need to make their own decisions will occur in the protective shelter of our home.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Privileges are earned by showing responsible behavior, and we reward our children with more privileges as they exhibit more responsible behavior. As parents we teach them and model for them the qualities and benefits of trust, cooperation with others, respect for authority in their life, a positive attitude, and sharing their needs and goals meekly rather than bombastically and disrespectfully. This prepares them to live successfully as adults. 

- Matthew 25:14-30

 

 

A Good Marriage - Valuing Our Mate

 

 

The courageous have strong marriages. The only ones who will succeed are those couples who are patient, who cherish one another, who quickly forgive slights, who have compassion for each other, and who do not take one another for granted but show gratitude for all our mate does for us.  

 

Forgiving the past and embracing the future as a couple establishes a good relationship. Including vulnerability in our relationship is also important, as well as giving one another the privilege of praying with us about our fears, concerns, desires, needs, disappointments, hurt feelings. We give each other the privilege of sharing in our life pursuits. These allow love, empathy, and understanding to grow between us.

 

Making a priority for prayer times as a couple, planning our schedules together, sharing in hobbies and interests, reading God’s Word and worshipping together all help to deepen our intimacy with our mate. Actively loving our spouse promotes strong ties and helps us to weather any storm we face either individually or as a couple.

 

Supporting each other, promoting areas for teamwork, running interference, and rebounding missed “shots,” all help our life to flow more smoothly. Taking time to make a budget and consulting each other before spending more than our budgeted amounts will avoid many an argument and undue stress.

 

The various cycles of life bring challenges which are often difficult to survive. Mutually making the decisions on choices that affect us both will prevent many negative emotions from rising between us. We face the roller coaster of life together and grow and support one another through the issues that threaten to tear us apart.

 

Prayer:

Father God, help us to change our focus on issues in life and in one another that we cannot influence or change. Remind us to spend time in prayer for one another to keep us committed to our marriage and to help protect each other from trials, temptations, discouragement, and failings. We want to maintain a perspective of love and joy in our mate’s company.

 

Protect us from learning these lessons the hard way by consulting You for Your wisdom and power to face the challenges of each new day. Thank You for Your mercy that is new every single morning (Lamentations 3:22-24). Help us to build our relationship on the Rock of Christ rather than on worldly success and possessions (Deuteronomy 32:4; 1 Corinthians 10:4). We want to walk in Your Spirit and to follow Your peace in making all our decisions (Galatians 5:15-25).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

An enduring love is built on mutual trust, understanding, cooperation, planning, and time spent together. Allowing our vocation or other people to take precedence over our spouse is a tragic decision that will only erode our love and support of one another, making our spouse feel abandoned, undervalued, and unloved.

 

The Obedient Son

 

 

The obedient Son of God, who never sinned, suffered a horrifying crucifixion and slow death for our sake. He was actually stricken by God and abandoned by His Father to pay the penalty of our sin debt for us and to give us His righteousness in exchange (Isaiah 53:4; 2 Corinthians 5:21). 

 

In the garden, Jesus’ perfect and divine nature shrunk from God’s charge for Him to take on the sin of the whole world – past, present, and future. During His lifetime, Jesus did not even have a place to lay his head. He knew how it felt to be homeless, poor, hungry, thirsty, rejected, blasphemed, falsely accused, ridiculed, and abandoned. 

 

He lost His earthly father, Joseph, and His best friend Lazarus to the ravages of sickness and death. He met with the ingratitude of people whom He fed and healed (Luke 17:11-19). He had only good will as His intention, but He met with derision and false accusations for his efforts. 

 

Jesus preached a hard message, not out of vindictiveness or meanness, but out of love and concern for the welfare and eternal state of the souls He tried to influence with righteous truth. He grieved for the hardness of men’s heart who would not believe in Him or His truth (Matthew 23:37-39). 

 

His sorrow was not for Himself, but for the eternal damnation that these people chose for themselves (John 3:18). Our heart also breaks for those who suffer any malady or misfortune in this life. The effects of sin in the life of those we love grieve us unbearably, and we pray continually for them to turn over their life to God to escape the inherent results of their own evil thoughts, intents, and behavior (John 3:18).

 

Jesus ultimately surrendered His will to our Heavenly Father’s plans, and He went to the cross willingly on our behalf. Most of His disciples forsook Him, Judas betrayed Him, and Peter denied Him three times just as Jesus predicted that He would. Only John and Jesus’ mother Mary followed Him to Golgotha’s hill (John 19:26-29).

 

Prayer:

Father God, we are often desensitized by the commonality of sin in and all around us; yet Jesus never entertained the vices of the flesh in any way, shape, or form. The depth of the grief that He felt over sin was even worse than the physically excruciating pain He endured on Calvary’s cross for all mankind. As we mature spiritually, we identify with Jesus’ abhorrence to sin.

 

Due to Your sanctification of our soul, we want to live miles away from sin of any type. As David matured spiritually, he begged You not to cause his soul to have to fellowship with sinners, or to live his life with men of murder and bloodshed (Psalm 26:9). We feel the same way. Sin repulses us as it does You (Matthew 15:14; Isaiah 1:13).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

The mockery of Jesus’ trials, due to the false accusations blamed on Him, illegally happened in the darkness of night. The mighty crowds were stirred by the leadership of those who opposed Him, and the people chose to free Barabbas rather than Jesus. Jesus bore the price of our peace as well as the debt for our sin and laid down His life for us all.

- Isaiah 53:4-12; Luke 23:18; 1 John 3:16; John 10:7-18

 

God’s Comfort and Strength

 

 

Over the years, many books discussed the presence of God in us. One even insinuated that we humans need to practice getting in touch with His presence. We need to practice due to our penchant for following our own humanistic thinking and relying on our own resources, we rarely even consult the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6).

 

God is everywhere at all times. To Him a thousand of our years is like one single day. For us, one day often seems like a thousand years because it drags on forever and is anything but pleasant (2 Peter 3:8). Since He is omnipresent, God sees us right where we are, with all our trying circumstances and emotional issues (Psalm 33:13).

 

Jesus know exactly how we are feeling. He identifies with our struggles because He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). He gives us His abundant hope, joy and peace which fill our soul and spills out on those around us (Psalm 34:18). Our attitude during trials can inspire others to walk with our triune God as well.

 

God also encourages us to run to Him with every issue we encounter and to trust Him through times of life-altering grief. He walks in us and with us as He surrounds us through every moment of our day. God also gives us His Word and His church family worldwide to keep us encouraged, motivated, and inspired.

 

A cheerful heart is better for us than any medication, and it comes from the Spirit of God within us (Proverbs 17:22). His joy is our strength that renews our soul and heals our crushed spirit (Proverbs 17:22). When we confess our sins to one another, and pray for each other, that prayer is effective and powerful to help us to heal from the inside out (James 5:16).

 

Prayer:

Father God, we praise You, because You are our Father of compassion, comfort, and encouragement in every trouble and trial. Help us to console others in the same manner that You reassure us (2 Corinthians 1:3). Teach us to find our inspiration from Your Word rather than in the counterfeit lies of the world and Satan that tell us to trust our “heart” and our “gut feelings.” They will only lead us astray (Jeremiah 17:9-10).

 

We want to trust Your Spirit to renew our mind, to transform our worldview and our opinions, and to avail our self to solid Bible teaching and corporate worship with Your Saints (Romans 12:2). Our life is in You, Lord (Colossians 3:3-4), and we find our peace in the shadow of Your wings (Psalm 91:1,4; 63:7). We want to live, move, and have our existence in You (Acts 17:28). We look forward to spending eternity with You in Your new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21:1-3).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Regardless of our circumstances of illnesses, God gives strength to the weary and increase the energy of the weak so that we rise up with wings like eagles who effortlessly soar in the skies. Those who turned away from God for various reasons only hurt themselves. God is always faithful to heal our soul and renew our spirit because He is our Savior, Lord, and Almighty Father, so come back to Him.

-Isaiah 40:29-31; Jeremiah 3:22

 

Hope or Fear

 

 

When we see images of devastation due to natural disasters, our heart is gripped in sorrow for those who are enduring those circumstances as well as fear for our self to possibly endure those same issues at a future time. We can make wise choices to insulate our self from many of the results of future devastation, but nothing is guaranteed. 

 

Before a storm we can build up enough savings to last us for three months, purchase insurance on our home and its contents, keep cash on hand to use in case electricity fails us and our credit card is not functioning, trim tree branches away from our house and garage, place a well-stocked first aid kit in our car and park our car in a garage - not under a tree, pack a suitcase already full of clothes and toiletries and medication or supplements and place it in a handy location to grab at a moment’s notice, heed the warnings on the news and leave the area or go to a shelter if possible.

 

The best insurance in a storm is not to carry our burdens and fears alone, but to release the weight of them onto our Daddy God who sustains us and never allows us to be utterly shaken by our circumstances (Psalm 55:22). We thrust all our cares, worries, concerns and fears on Him, because He wholeheartedly and affectionately cares about us with a watchful eye (1 Peter 5:7).

 

Not death, nor the evils of life, nor spiritual warfare, nor current circumstances or future trials, nor terrors by night or depths of the sea, or any other created thing will ever separate from the love that God has for us (Romans 8:35-39). Like Job, whatever Satan steals from us will be replaced in abundance by our generous Father God (1 Peter 5:8; Job 42:12).

 

If we keep our eyes focused on the invisible by our faith in Jesus Christ, what is temporary and finite pales in comparison with that which is unseen and eternal. Therefore, there is no reason to lose heart, even if our body is wracked with sickness or pain, because in our spirit we are renewed day by day and God has good plans for us (Roman 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

 

God’s Word is full of encouragement concerning loss and grief. We will know our home is safe and a survey of our material possessions prove that nothing is missing (Job 5:24). God is our refuge from storms and a shelter from intense heat. He is a tower of strength to us in our distress (Isaiah 25:4). He plants a seed for a miracle in every trial.

 

God is a shelter from daily heat and a hiding place from vicious storms and heavy rains (Isaiah 4:6). Heavy flooding will not come near every godly person who prays to and trusts in God, because He is always present for us (Psalm 32:6). He fully rewards those who take refuge under His wings (Ruth 2:12). We can trust Him with our whole heart.

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for delivering us out of the mighty storms, for keeping us from sinking, and from the deep waters. You control the floodwaters from overflowing us, and You prevent the depths of the sea from swallowing us up. You are so good to us, and You provide us with Your multitude of tender mercies (Psalm 69:14). The name of Jesus is a fortified tower for us, and His Saints can rest in His name and run to it for safety (Proverbs 18:10). 

 

You meet all our needs with Your glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Our heart trusts in You, and You help us. Our soul leaps for joy, and our praise to You pours forth from our lips with songs of deliverance (Psalm 28:7). You are our refuge and strength as well as a constant presence during our times of trouble; therefore, we have nothing to fear even if the mountains quake and slip into the roaring, foaming seas (Psalm 18:2, 46:1-3). When we set You as our focus, and stand firmly in Your presence, we shall not be moved (Psalm 16:8).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

The Lord of hosts is continually with us, and a stronghold for us in times of trials and temptations. We have nothing to fear, because He is with us and in us; and as we keep our eyes focused on Him and not on the issues surrounding us, He strengthens us, helps us, and holds us up in His hand.

- Psalm 46:7; Isaiah 41:10; Nahum 1:7

 

Jesus Our Example

  

Jesus suffered not only in the crucifixion, but the horrific scourging prior to carrying His cross up Golgotha’s hill. He was bruised, bleeding, and exhausted from one unlawful nightly trial after another. He was thirsty, and weary to the bone. He fell under the weight of the cross and the soldiers conscripted an onlooking citizen to carry it for Him the rest of the way (Matthew 27:32).

 

The simplicity of the message of Calvary’s cross bears witness to our hearts of the amount of love Jesus has for the whole world in willingly laying down His life for us (1 John 3:16). Then, He took His life up again (John 10:18), and He emerged from the tomb with dynamite power to take back the earth from Satan’s dominion and to deliver it back to our Father God (John 1:12; Revelation 20:2-3). This man of sorrows is our soon coming King.

 

Yet, with all that He suffered in His 33 years on the earth, Jesus was not a sorrowful man. He did not major on His grief and compound His sorrow with anxiety and stress. He constantly spent time with our Father, and He walked in spiritual maturity with His focus on doing God’s will (John 4:34). He is truly an example to us of how to endure life while living in the Spirit.

 

Jesus made His life’s mission about healing the sick, rescuing the brokenhearted, redeeming the sinner, and giving us His righteousness in exchange for our iniquity. We can focus on the joy that is set before us, just like Jesus did (Hebrews 12:2) – the seed for a miracle that God plants in every trial.

 

Jesus was despised and rejected by His family, friends, and neighbors. He was falsely accused, insulted, and met with ingratitude for the miracles He performed for those who came to Him in need (Luke 17:11-19). Let us not be guilty of treating Him the same way. Praising His deeds for us, showing gratitude for His miracles in our life, and accepting His sacrifice for us, will bring Him reverberating blessings and joy.

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for easing Jesus’ suffering when He spent time with you during His prayer time, and His ceaseless prayers throughout the day (Mark 1:35). We are so sorry that our sins caused His suffering and death, but we praise You for giving Him the power to come forth from the tomb as our conquering hero. Thank You for teaching us to consecrate our life to You as Jesus did, and how to keep our focus on Your perfect plans for us each moment of the day.

 

Remind us not to live for our self, but to make Your will our top priority each day. Help us to discern the ministries for Your Body and our community that You called us to accomplish and to bring You glory through it all (Matthew 5:13-20). You give us spiritual gifts to use to further Your Kingdom on the earth, to love everyone You bring into our life, to genuinely care for our self and others, and to lay down our life as You call us into Your service.

 

Thoughts for the Day:

We are God’s Church, and if we see a need in our church family, our community, or the world, we are reminded that God may want us to serve in this area rather than expecting someone else to fill the empty spot. As we give Him our entire body, soul, and spirit for His use, we find fulfillment, peace, and joy like nothing life in the world can provide.

- Colossians 3:3-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:23

 

A Man of Sorrows and Acquainted with Grief

 

 

I have "one piece" nativities in every room in my house, and I leave them there all year long because they remind me of the miracle Jesus did for me and for everyone who chooses to believe in His salvation through His crucifixion and resurrection (John 3:16-18). These nativities are all unique and very special to me because they were gifts or gems found during thrift store “treasure hunts”. 

God’s Word declares that Jesus was "despised and rejected even by his own family, as well as living as a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3). I feel so much remorse for my sins that caused Him to have to live like this, and I can never thank Him enough for paying my sin debt. 

 

Sin is a universal problem of which we all deal daily. It is a deliberate rebellion against the Trinity of God. It dictates our thoughts, words, and actions, and it dwells in our soul - enslaving us to satanic control until we turn away from sin and believe in Jesus’ saving grace. 

 

The only reason Jesus came to earth was to pay our sin-debt for us, and to give us His righteousness in exchange, so we can dwell with Him for eternity. Even as Born Again Believers, if we choose to walk in continual sin, we separate our self from God and hinder our spiritual growth in so many ways, as well as blocking the continual blessings of God from our life.

 

The preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, had much to say about Jesus’ sorrow and grief during His brief life on this earth. His summary of this topic is that although it makes us sad that our behavior and attitude forced Jesus to come to earth as our Redeemer, He is now seated with God in Heavenly places.

 

He triumphed over sin and death, and now all authority in Heaven and over the earth is given to Him by our Father God. He will rule for eternity over all the nations of the universe as King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15: Revelation 19:16). 

 

Satan bruised the heel of Jesus, but the Lord will crush Satan’s head and cast him and his demons into the deepest hell for eternity (Genesis 3:15; Mathew 25:41; Revelation 20:10). Every tongue will eventually worship Him in spirit and in truth; so surrender your life to Him now, and receive His blessings.

 

There is no grater solace in our grief in this valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4) than as we realize that He suffered just as we do, and He really understands what we are experiencing in our life. While we endure each trial, we share in the sufferings He experienced, but we have hope and joy due to Christ’s triumph over them (1 Peter 4:13; 1 Corinthians 15:55; Colossians 2:15).

 

Our Savior also took upon Himself a life of no notoriety, a servant in every aspect, with human senses and needs and experiences (Philippians 2:7-14). In doing this, He redeemed everyone who lays down their pride and rebellion in slavery to sin, and eternal damnation (Genesis 3:13-23).

 

Jesus was God in the flesh and dwelt among us as the only begotten Son (John 1:1,14). As both God and man (John 14:9), He will return to earth in the Father’s timing (Matthew 24:36-44) and in a position of grandeur and majesty rather than an existence of human limitations (Romans 14:1; Philippians 2:10-11; John 4:23-24).

 

Jesus willingly yielded His life to death to pay for the sins of the entire world – past, present, and future. When it seems impossible for us to resist sin’s temptation, we can stand firm on the fact that Jesus never sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21), because God dwelled within Him (John 10:30-33). We can also resist the temptation to sin (1 Corinthians 10:13-33), because by His Spirit, the Trinity of God abides in us as well.

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for coming into our human family and for identifying with humanity in every way. Thank You for redeeming us by the blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Ephesians 1:7), for adopting us into Your family (Ephesians 1:5), and for making us joint heirs with our brother Jesus of Your entire Kingdom (Romans 8:17). Thank You for having pity on our sinful plight and giving us the means to escape the bonds of sin and to enjoy the freedom that only Christ can provide (John 8:36).

 

Help us to see that our bondage to Satan and sin is our choice; however, You also give us the choice to receive Your free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord and King (Romans 6:36; Romans 13:14; Ephesians 1:17-19). We rely on Him as our mediator that earned us the privilege of entering Your throne room at any time of need. When we pray to You, we take Jesus’ yoke on our shoulders, and He helps us to bear our heavy load of sorrow and grief in this life (Matthew 11:29-30).

 

Thoughts for the Day:

Before we trust in Jesus to free us from the bondage to sin, it blindsides us with uncontrollable desires, irrational thoughts, and the unpredictable impulses of our flesh. Our only hope of salvation from this predilection, is to repent of our sins, trust in Jesus’ saving work on Calvary’s cross, and submit to Him in every area of our life – even with those “locked closets” within us that are filled with secrets that we keep hidden from the world.

- Proverbs 14:34; Galatians 5:15-25; Acts 2:38; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Proverbs 3:5-6; James 4:7-10